LUSARAP

Facebook has announced its own Flipbaord rival, with Paperformally unveiled as a way to transform your social interactions and news preferences into a magazine-style application.

The official Facebook app for Windows Phone has finally arrived.

The app, titled Facebook 5.0, is available now through Microsofts Windows Phone 8 app marketplace.

Its the first official app from the social network to make it onto Microsofts mobile OS, but the 5.0 indicates that it includes improvements made in previous iterations on other platforms, like iOS and Android.


Only third-party Facebook apps were available on WP8 handsets until now, and the official app looks like the only one without any glaring shortcomings. Go figure.

This is not a test

The Windows Phone 8 Facebook app brings an altered look and functionality exclusive to the OS, fitting well with the tile-based aesthetic of Microsofts mobile UI.

It was available previously in beta, and that beta Facebook app is still available in a separate listing from the official Facebook 5.0.

Word is the Facebook beta app will host new, untested features that may eventually make it into the official WP8 app.

Both apps are available now for Windows Phone 7.5 in addition to Windows Phone 8.

Microsoft used its Build 2013 conference last week to announce that the official Facebook app would arrive shortly alongside a new Flipboard app.

Facebook is testing out the Graph Search functionality for mobile devices, according to at least one user who is seeing the update land on their handset.


The limited was first reported by a Mashable scribe this weekend and follows Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbergs recent vow to bring the contextual searches to mobile users sooner rather than later.

During last weeks quarterly earnings call the CEO said: "Were really early in the game on this. You can see that because we havent even really rolled out our mobile version of graph search yet and were a mobile company.

"Pretty soon, you should expect us to roll out the mobile version of this. I think thats going to be an important step because most of the usage of Facebook overall is on mobile."

Improving

The enhanced search took, which allows users to discover posts, photos, restaurant recommendations and more rolled out to all users in July last year.

Its a fairly decent tool for finding photos of you and your friends, your friends who live in particular cities, or even friends whove been posting about certain subjects.

As Zuckerberg said, the company is early in the game with Graph Search and itll only improve as time progresses. That improvement will continue with the wider roll out on mobile devices.